This invention generally relates to the art of fiber optic transmission and, particularly, to fiber optic connector module.
Fiber optic connectors of a wide variety of designs have been employed to terminate optical fiber cables and to facilitate connection of the cables to other cables or other optical fiber transmission devices. A typical fiber optic connector includes a ferrule which mounts and centers an optical fiber or fibers within the connector. The ferrule may be fabricated of such material as ceramic. A ferrule holder or other housing component of the connector embraces the ferrule and may be fabricated of such material as molded plastic. A spring may be disposed within the housing or ferrule holder such that the ferrule is yieldably biased forwardly for engaging another fiber-mounting ferrule of a mating connecting device.
A pair of fiber optic connectors or a connector and another optical fiber transmission device often are mated in an adapter which centers the fibers to provide low insertion losses. The adapter couples the connectors together so that their encapsulated fibers connect end-to-end. The adapter may be an in-line component, or the adapter can be designed for mounting in an opening in a panel, backplane, circuit board or the like.
Various problems continue to be encountered in designing fiber optic connector assemblies or other connector assemblies, including applications involving backplanes, motherboards, daughterboards and the like. Such problems include properly and precisely placing a connector assembly on a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, accommodating misalignment of the connectors during mating, allowing relative floating movement between various components of the system and similar positional-type problems. Other problems simply involve efforts to simplify the design of connector assemblies. The present invention is directed to solving these problems and to providing various improvements in such connector assemblies.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved connector assembly, particularly a fiber optic connector module.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the module includes a ferrule terminated to at least one optical fiber. The ferrule is mounted in a manually manipulatable housing which includes a front portion encapsulating the ferrule and a rear portion extending rearwardly of the front portion for manual grasping by an operator. The front portion has an open front end from which a mating end of the ferrule projects. The optical fiber extends through an open rear end of the housing.
As disclosed herein, the rear portion of the housing is formed by a pair of laterally spaced arms graspable between an operator""s fingers. The outsides of the arms have serrations to facilitate manual grasping thereof. The insides of the arms have guide channels for guiding insertion of the ferrule into the open rear end of the front portion of the housing.
Other features of the invention include latch means on the outside of the housing for latching the module in a complementary receptacle. Flexible latch arms are provided at the front of the housing engageable with opposite sides of a flange of the ferrule for holding the ferrule encapsulated within the front portion of the housing. Preferably, the housing is a one-piece structure unitarily molded of plastic material.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.